The Importance of Standards and Quality Control

The Importance of Standards and Quality

Control

A Presentation By

OVOP National Secretariat Kenya

February 2016

Standards

A standard is a set of specifications or guidelines to ensure that a product, service or process does what it is supposed to do.

They are developed by establishing a common standard through repeated and consistent use.

Standards are therefore used as tools to facilitate trade, enhance safety and health, improve productivity, protect the environment, and transfer and create technology

Reasons for Developing standards

1. Fitness for purpose

? It is the ability of the process, product or service to fulfil a defined purpose under specific conditions. Any product, process or service is intended to meet the needs of the user.

? Standards help by identifying the optimum parameters for the performance of a process, product or service (e.g. product standards) and the method for evaluating product conformity (such as test method standards and quality control standards).

Reasons for Developing standards

2. Interchangeability ?The suitability for a process, product or service to be used in place of another to fulfil a relevant requirement is called interchangeability.

?Through a deliberate standardization process, it is possible to make processes, products or services inter- changeable, even if they are created in different countries.

Reasons for Developing standards

3.Variety reduction ?Variety is the spice of life. Large number of varieties for a particular process, product or service may be helpful to consumers and enable them to select the most appropriate.

?Variety reduction is one of the aims of standardization for the selection, inter alia, of the optimum number of sizes, ratings, grades, compositions and practices to meet prevailing needs.

Reasons for Developing standards

? 4. Compatibility ? Parallel developments of processes, products or services,

which are required to be used in combination, pose problems if they are not compatible. One of the aims of standardization is compatibility, namely, suitability of processes, products or services to be used together under specific conditions to fulfill the relevant requirements, without causing unnecessary interaction.

? 5. Transfer of technology ? Standards act as a good vehicle for technology transfer.

Reasons for Developing standards

? 6. Guarding against factors that affect the health and safety of consumers

? Safety of the process, product or service is of great importance if, under certain conditions, the use of the process, product or service may pose a threat to human life or property

? 7. Removal of trade barriers ? Standards prevent such non-tariff barriers to trade by

harmonizing requirements in a manner that promotes fair competition. Purchasers can be convinced about the quality level of a product that has been manufactured according to a recognized standard.

Reasons for Developing standards

? 8. Better communication and understanding ? Since standards contain information that is recorded in a

precise and documented form, they con- tribute towards better communication and understanding in a large variety of settings. In public places such as airports, railway stations and highways for instance, standardized signs play an important role.

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